Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

Let me start by saying that I think this is my all-time favorite soup in the whole history of soup.  Wait, there is that corn chowder from MESA Grill I had once.... and there is that Lobster Bisque from the Grand Rapids Chop House....well,  this is the best soup that I make. This recipe came from a friend, who prepared it for my family upon our return home from vacation.  They turned the heat on in the house and decorated the dining room like a tropical paradise.  And, a pot of soup ready and warm with crusty bread and a nice salad.  What a way to come home from a sunny Florida beach  to a frigid Michigan winter. I have since made this recipe my own, using the ingredients the way I like and omitting a few, like flour as a thickener.  I don't like to thicken soups with flour.  I like CREAM.

Ingredients

• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup shallots, minced
• 1 leek, cleaned and trimmed.  Use half of the  greens and all of whites, finely sliced
• 2 celery stalks,  thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Riesling wine ( you can use Sherry or other  white wine)
• 3 carrots quartered and sliced
• 2 quarts chicken broth ( I used the boxed stock)
• 2 tsp. tarragon
• 3/4 cup wild rice (you can also use the pre-cooked package of Uncle Ben's and add it just at the end of cooking)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• White chicken breast meat from a roasted chicken

Directions

1. Heat butter in soup pot. 
2. Add garlic, shallots,celery and leeks
3. Cook until softened about 5 min.
4. Add wine and reduce liquid  to half, about 5 minutes.
5. Add carrots, stirring.
6. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
7. Cook about 10 minutes.
8. Add tarragon, cream and rice.
9. Cook until carrots are tender, but still a bit firm
10. Add chicken.
11. Salt and pepper to taste.